Map of French Polynesia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: The French annexed various Polynesian island groups during the 19th century. In 1966, the French Government began testing nuclear weapons on the uninhabited Mururoa Atoll; following mounting opposition, the tests were moved underground in 1975. In September 1995, France stirred up widespread protests by resuming nuclear testing after a three-year moratorium. The tests were halted in January 1996. In recent years, French Polynesia's autonomy has been considerably expanded.


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Location: Oceania, five archipelagoes (Archipel des Tuamotu, Iles Gambier, Iles Marquises, Iles Tubuai, Society Islands) in the South Pacific Ocean about halfway between South America and Australia

Geographic coordinates: 15 00 S, 140 00 W

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 4,167 km²
Note: (118 islands and atolls; 67 are inhabited)
Land: 3,827 km²
Water: 340 km²
Rank: 175
Comparative: slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 2,525 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate: tropical, but moderate

Terrain: mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs

Elevation: 0 m
Note: lowest point: Pacific Ocean

Natural resources: timber, fish, cobalt, hydropower

Land use
Agricultural land: 12.5% (2011 est.)
Forest: 43.7% (2011 est.)
Other: 43.8% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 10 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: occasional cyclonic storms in January

Geography
Note: includes five archipelagoes: four volcanic (Iles Gambier, Iles Marquises, Iles Tubuai, Society Islands) and one coral (Archipel des Tuamotu); the Tuamotu Archipelago forms the largest group of atolls in the world - 78 in total, 48 inhabited; Makatea in the Tuamotu Archipelago is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Nauru


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Population
Distribution: the majority of the population lives in the Society Islands, one of five archipelagos that includes the most populous island - Tahiti - with approximately 70% of the nation's population: 290,373 (July 2018 est.)
Rank: 181
Growth rate: 0.85% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 125
Below poverty line: 19.7% (2009 est.)

Nationality
Noun: French Polynesian(s)
Adjective: French Polynesian

Ethnic groups: Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4%

Languages: French (official) 70%, Polynesian (official) 28.2%, other 1.8% (2012 est.)

Religions: Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 10%, no religion 6%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 22.21% (male 33,165 /female 31,322)
15-24 years: 15.37% (male 23,232 /female 21,405)
25-54 years: 44.4% (male 66,074 /female 62,854)
55-64 years: 9.72% (male 14,503 /female 13,719)
65 years and over: 8.3% (male 11,634 /female 12,465) (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 45.3 (2015 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 34.8 (2015 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 10.5 (2015 est.)
Potential support ratio: 9.5 (2015 est.)

Median age
Total: 32.4 years
Male: 32.1 years
Female: 32.6 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 101

Population growth rate: 0.85% (2018 est.)
Rank: 125

Birth rate: 14.5 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 132

Death rate: 5.3 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 184

Net migration rate: -0.8 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 131

Population distribution: the majority of the population lives in the Society Islands, one of five archipelagos that includes the most populous island - Tahiti - with approximately 70% of the nation's population

Urbanization
Urban population: 61.8% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 1.01% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 136,000 PAPEETE (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: sea level rise; extreme weather events (cyclones, storms, and tsunamis producing floods, landslides, erosion, and reef damage); droughts; fresh water scarcity

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
15-24 years: 1.08 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
25-54 years: 1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
55-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 4.6 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 5.1 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Female: 4.1 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Rank: 179

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.5 years (2018 est.)
Male: 75.2 years (2018 est.)
Female: 80 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 72

Total fertility rate: 1.87 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 139

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source
Urban: 0% of population
Rural: 0% of population
Total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 2.13 physicians/1000 population (2009)

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 1.5% of population (2015 est.)
Rural: 1.5% of population (2015 est.)
Total: 1.5% of population (2015 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate note: NA
People living with hivaids note: NA
Deaths note: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Overseas Lands of French Polynesia
Conventional short form: French Polynesia
Local long form: Pays doutre-mer de la Polynesie Francaise
Local short form: Polynesie Francaise
Former: Establishments in Oceania, French Establishments in Oceania
Etymology: the term Polynesia is an 18th-century construct composed of two Greek words, poly (many) and nesoi (islands), and refers to the more than 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean

Government type: parliamentary democracy (Assembly of French Polynesia); an overseas collectivity of France

Capital
Name: Papeete (located on Tahiti)
Geographic coordinates: 17 32 S, 149 34 W
Time difference: UTC-10 (5 hours behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 5 administrative subdivisions (subdivisions administratives, singular - subdivision administrative): Iles Australes (Austral Islands), Iles du Vent (Windward Islands), Iles Marquises (Marquesas Islands), Iles Sous-le-Vent (Leeward Islands), Iles Tuamotu-Gambier; note - the Leeward Islands and the Windward Islands together make up the Society Islands (Iles de la Societe)

Dependent areas

Independence: none (overseas lands of France)

National holiday: Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1790); note - the local holiday is Internal Autonomy Day, 29 June (1880)

Constitution
History: 4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
Amendments: French constitution amendment procedures apply

Legal system: the laws of France, where applicable, apply

International law organization participation

Citizenship: see France

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017), represented by High Commissioner of the Republic Rene BIDALL (since 30 May 2016)
Head of government: President of French Polynesia Edouard FRITCH (since 12 September 2014)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers approved by the Assembly from a list of its members submitted by the president
Electionsappointments: French president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); high commissioner appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; French Polynesia president indirectly elected by Assembly of French Polynesia for a 5-year term (no term limits)

Legislative branch
Description:
Elections:
Election results:

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Court of Appeal or Cour dAppel (composition NA); note - appeals beyond the French Polynesia Court of Appeal are heard by the Court of Cassation (in Paris)
Judge selection and term of office: judges assigned from France normally for 3 years
Subordinate courts: Court of the First Instance or Tribunal de Premiere Instance; Court of Administrative Law or Tribunal Administratif

Political parties and leaders: A Tia Porinetia [Teva ROHFRITSCH]Alliance for a New Democracy or ADN (includes The New Star [Philip SCHYLE], This Country is Yours [Nicole BOUTEAU])New Fatherland Party (Ai'a Api) [Emile VERNAUDON]Our Home alliancePeople's Servant Party (Tavini Huiraatira) [Oscar TEMARU]Popular Rally (Tahoeraa Huiraatira) [Gaston FLOSSE]Tapura Huiraatira [Edouard FRITICH]Tavini Huiraatira [James CHANCELOR]Union for Democracy alliance or UPD [Oscar TEMARU]

International organization participation: ITUC (NGOs), PIF (associate member), SPC, UPU, WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (overseas lands of France)
From the us: none (overseas lands of France)

Flag description:

National symbols: outrigger canoe, Tahitian gardenia (Gardenia taitensis) flower; national colors: red, white

National anthem
Name: Ia Ora O Tahiti Nui (Long Live Tahiti Nui)
Lyricsmusic: Maeva BOUGES, Irmine TEHEI, Angele TEROROTUA, Johanna NOUVEAU, Patrick AMARU, Louis MAMATUI, and Jean-Pierre CELESTIN (the compositional group created both the lyrics and music): note: adopted 1993; serves as a local anthem; as a territory of France, 'La Marseillaise' is official (see France)

National heritage


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Economy overview: Since 1962, when France stationed military personnel in the region, French Polynesia has changed from a subsistence agricultural economy to one in which a high proportion of the work force is either employed by the military or supports the tourist industry. With the halt of French nuclear testing in 1996, the military contribution to the economy fell sharply.After growing at an average yearly rate of 4.2% from 1997-2007, the economic and financial crisis in 2008 marked French Polynesia’s entry into recession. However, since 2014, French Polynesia has shown signs of recovery. Business turnover reached 1.8% year-on-year in September 2016, tourism increased 1.8% in 2015, and GDP grew 2.0% in 2015.French Polynesia’s tourism-dominated service sector accounted for 85% of total value added for the economy in 2012. Tourism employs 17% of the workforce. Pearl farming is the second biggest industry, accounting for 54% of exports in 2015; however, the output has decreased to 12.5 tons - the lowest level since 2008. A small manufacturing sector predominantly processes commodities from French Polynesia’s primary sector - 8% of total economy in 2012 - including agriculture and fishing.France has agreed to finance infrastructure, marine businesses, and cultural and ecological sites at roughly $80 million per year between 2015 and 2020. Japan, the US, and China are French Polynesia’s three largest trade partners.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 177

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 150

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 103

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 66.9% (2014 est.)
Government consumption: 33.6% (2014 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 19.4% (2014 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.1% (2014 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 17.5% (2014 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -37.5% (2014 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 2.5% (2009)
Industry: 13% (2009)
Services: 84.5% (2009)

Agriculture products: coconuts, vanilla, vegetables, fruits, coffee; poultry, beef, dairy products; fish

Industries: tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts, phosphates

Industrial production growth rate
Note: NA

Labor force: 126,300 (2016 est.)
Rank: 179
By occupation agriculture: 13%
By occupation industry: 19%
By occupation services: 68% (2013 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 190

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 19.7% (2009 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: 1.891 billion (2012)
Expenditures: 1.833 billion (2011)
Surplus or deficit: 1.2% (of GDP) (2012)
Surplus or deficit rank: 28

Taxes and other revenues: 39.4% (of GDP) (2012)
Rank: 46

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 10

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money: $3.81 billion (2015 est.)
Rank: 118

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares: NA

Current account balance:
Rank: 58

Exports:
Rank: 152
Partners: Japan 23.1%, Hong Kong 21.5%, Kyrgyzstan 15.9%, US 15.9%, France 12.4% (2017)
Commodities: cultured pearls, coconut products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, shark meat

Imports:
Rank: 162
Commodities: fuels, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment
Partners: France 27.9%, South Korea 12.1%, US 10.1%, China 7.3%, NZ 6.7%, Singapore 4.2% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: NA

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 124

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
Rank: 101

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access population without electricity: 116,981 (2012)
Access electrification total population: 59% (2012)
Access electrification urban areas: 72% (2012)
Access electrification rural areas: 45% (2012)
Production: 677.3 million kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 158
Consumption: 629.9 million kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 164
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 136
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 150
Installed generating capacity: 253,000 kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 163
Generation sources fossil fuels: 70% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 108
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 92
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 19% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 89
Generation sources other renewable sources: 11% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 77

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 138
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 127
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 129
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 134

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 147
Products consumption: 6,600 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 168
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 157
Products imports: 6,785 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 160

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 135
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 148
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 106
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 127
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 137

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 1.03 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 168

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 60,530 (July 2016 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 33 (July 2016 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 154
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 280,111 (July 2016 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 97 (July 2016 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 178

Telephone system
General assessment: one of the most advanced telecom infrastructures for the Pacific islands region; 85% mobile broadband coverage (2017)
Domestic: fixed-line subscriptions 33 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular density is roughly 97 per 100 persons (2017)
International: country code - 689; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); international submarine cables depolyed in 2010 and more cables after 2016 (2017)

Broadcast media: French public overseas broadcaster Reseau Outre-Mer provides 2 TV channels and 1 radio station; 1 government-owned TV station; a small number of privately owned radio stations (2018)

Internet
Country code: .pf
Users total: 195,275 (July 2016 est.)
Users percent of population: 68.4% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 171

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 55,443 (2017 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 19 (2017 est.)
Rank: 129


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 2
Note: (registered in France) (2015)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 21

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: F-OH (2016)

Airports: 54 (2013)
Rank: 87
With paved runways total: 45 (2017)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2 (2017)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5 (2017)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 33 (2017)
With paved runways under 914 m: 5 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 9 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 5 (2013)

Heliports: 1 (2013)

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 2,590 km (1999)
Paved: 1735 km (1999)
Unpaved: 855 km (1999)
Rank: 171

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 17 (2017)
By type: general cargo 8, other 9 (2017)
Rank: 142

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Papeete


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs